Broadhead for an arrow

ABSTRACT

A broadhead for an arrow includes a blade device with retaining tabs having threads disposed thereon. The blade device is placed into grooves on a ferrule and a retaining ring screwed over the threaded tabs to secure the blade device to the ferrule.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to broadheads for arrows, and more particularly, to a broadhead consisting of at least one blade assembly secured by a retaining ring that attaches to the blade assembly itself

2. Description of the Related Art

The archery and hunting industries have developed numerous types of arrows having various tips for improving penetration into a target. Typically, the arrow comprises a broadhead that includes a pointed tip and a number of razor blade members disposed about the circumference of the broadhead shank.

The broadheads are secured to the arrow shaft by various means, but usually are either crimped onto the end of the shaft or screwed into the inner circumference of the hollow arrow shaft via an insert having internal screw threads. Because of the screw threads, broadheads can be replaced if the blades are broken or damaged, and it is also known to only replace the broken blades while keeping the original shank and tip of the broadhead for repeated use. This replaceable feature of both the broadhead and the blades represents a great convenience and cost-saving feature to the hunter or sportsman by providing a means for easy repair of damaged or broken blades or broadheads.

Relatively thin arrowhead blades have become common, particularly for hunting. Such thin blades provide superior penetration and killing power when hunting, but a drawback is their relative fragility. Such thin arrowhead blades are easily damaged or broken if they strike bone, or perhaps a stone, tree or other hard object if the shot is missed or passes completely through the target. As a result, it has become standard procedure to provide for the replacement of blade elements as required on the arrow shaft attachment body, rather than forcing the archer to lay out a considerable expense to replace the entire assembly or perhaps the entire arrow, when all components excepting perhaps a single blade edge are in perfect condition. Such replaceable blade elements are also more easily sharpened than blades which are inseparably affixed to the shaft attachment body, or to the leading end of the arrow shaft itself.

A number of means of providing replaceable blades on a blade attachment body, known as a ferrule, have been developed in the past. These replaceable arrowhead and/or blade assemblies almost universally rely upon a threaded mechanism that engages the ferrule while retaining blade ends. Most such threaded assemblies rely upon the clamping action of a tapered collet arrangement to hold the blades in place, rather than providing positive retention. This may result in a loose blade mounted on the ferrule, which can affect accuracy in flight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A broadhead blade includes a retaining tab at its back end with threads on its outer surface. The threaded outer surface of the retaining tab allows a retaining ring to be screwed directly onto the blade itself, better securing the assembly of blades to a ferrule, and thereby, to an arrow shaft.

A broadhead in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a ferrule, a capture tip, a blade device and a retaining ring. The ferrule has a number of blade-receiving slots disposed on its outer surface, a front end that fits into the back end of the capture tip, and a threaded stud at its back end for screwing into an arrow shaft. The capture tip has a slot at its front end to fit over the front inside portion of the blade device, and is open at its back end to fit over the front end of the ferrule. The blade device is planar and has retaining tabs at its back end that fit into the slots running along the length of the ferrule. Preferably, the blade device has two blades that extend away from each other from the pointed tip of the blade device and then angle back towards each other at the trailing end of the blade device. The retaining tabs have threads disposed on their outer edge surface to engage the threaded interior of the retaining ring.

To assemble the broadhead, the capture tip is placed between the inside front portion of the blade device and the front end of the ferrule. With the capture tip snugly fit onto the inside portion of the blade device, the blade device is fit into the slots of the ferrule and the capture tip is positioned over the front end of the ferrule. The retaining ring is then screwed onto the threads of the retaining tabs at the back end of the blade device.

Preferably, secondary single blades are provided that fit into slots disposed 90° from the blades of the blade device. The secondary blades include a front tab that fits under an edge of the capture tip and a rear tab that fits under the retaining ring.

In accordance with further aspects of the present invention, an archery broadhead includes a ferrule having blade-receiving slots disposed thereon; a retaining ring with threads disposed on its inner surface; and, a blade device with threaded back end retaining tabs. The threaded back end retaining tabs fit into the blade-receiving slots; and, the retaining ring screws onto the threaded back end retaining tabs.

The archery broadhead may further include a plurality of secondary blades with a front retaining tab and a back retaining tab, the front retaining tab fitting into the blade-receiving slot and under an edge of the capture tip, and the back retaining tab fitting between the ferrule and the retaining ring.

A method for assembling a broadhead for an arrow is disclosed as well. The method includes placing a front, inside portion of a blade device into a slot of a capture tip, the blade device being planar and having back-end-retaining tabs with threads disposed upon their outer surface; placing the capture tip onto a front end of a ferrule placing the back-end-retaining tabs into blade-receiving slots on the ferrule; and screwing a retaining ring over a rear end of the ferrule and onto the back-end-retaining tabs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side exploded view of a broadhead in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side partially exploded view of the broadhead of FIG. 1 with the addition of optional secondary blades;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view the broadhead of FIG. 2 fully assembled;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a front view and a side cross-sectioned view, respectively, of a retaining ring in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a capture tip in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, broadhead 10 has a standard threaded stud 12 extending from alignment shoulder 13 at the rear end of broadhead ferrule 14 to be screwed into an arrow shaft insert (not shown).

Ferrule 14 includes blade-receiving slots 18 extending the length of the ferrule from the front to rear of the ferrule. The slots are equally spaced circumferentially around the ferrule, preferably 90° apart. A rear blade retaining ring 21 is positioned over alignment shoulder 13 and screws onto the threads of back retaining tab 23 at the back end of the blade device 22.

A planar blade device 22 is secured forwardly of the ferrule 14 by means of a capture tip 11. The front end of the capture tip 11 has a slot configured to fit over the inside front portion of the blade device 22. The back end of the capture tip 11 has an open interior shaped to fit over the front ferrule end 41. The back end retaining tabs 23 of the blade device 22 fit into a pair of diametrically opposed slots 18. FIG. 2 shows the blade device 22 rotated ninety degrees from the orientation of FIG. 1 and fitted onto the ferrule 14 with the capture tip 11. A plurality of secondary blades 26 are secured in circumferentially spaced blade receiving slots 18 by rear holding tabs 27 received therein, and forward holding tabs 28 received under the rear edge of the capture tip 11. Preferably, the slots 18 into which secondary blades 26 are received are disposed 90° from the slots 18 into which blade device 22 is received. Once the blades 26 are positioned in the slots 18 with the front holding tab 28 under the tear edge of the capture tip 11, a rear retaining ring 21, which is threaded over its interior, is fit over the shoulder 13 and screwed onto the threaded back end retaining tabs 23 of blade device 22. FIG. 3 shows the fully assembled broadhead 10.

Securing the retaining ring 21 onto the blade device 22, itself, via the threaded back end retaining tabs 23, provides greater integrity to the overall broadhead construction and blade securement. As the retaining ring 21 is rotated, it draws blade device 22 rearwardly by means of the threaded back end retaining tabs 23, and forces the front end of the blade device 22 to fit more snugly within capture tip 11. At the same time, secondary blades 26 are forced forwardly, so that front holding tabs 28 are secured under the rear edge of capture tip 11 while rear holding tabs 27 are secured under the retaining ring 21. This provides a more stable arrow, better aerodynamics and a truer flight path.

The retaining ring 21 pulls the blade device 22 back, securing and trapping the capture tip 11 between the blade device 22 and the ferrule 14, eliminating the need for crimping. The capture tip 11 has the front tabs 28 of the secondary blades 26 secured therein and the back tabs 27 are held in place and secured under the retaining ring 21. The retaining ring 21 is further secured onto the broadhead by an arrow shaft (not shown) that is screwed onto the threaded stud 12 of the ferrule 14 in final assembly. Secondary blades 26 are optional at the discretion of the user and the blade device 22 alone may be sufficient for certain applications.

If it becomes necessary to remove the blade device 22 and/or the secondary blades 26, they may be removed by unscrewing the rear retaining ring 21, and sliding the rear retaining ring 21 rearwardly to the extent necessary to pass back end retaining tabs 23 or rear holding tabs 27. The blade device 22 can then be slid forwardly out of slots 18, while blades 26 can be lifted out of slots 18.

The secondary blades 26 generally include cut-out portions 30 to reduce the weight of the blades to a desired value. It should be noted that blades of different weights can be used together, such as in a four blade arrangement, two of the blades may be of one weight and two may be of another weight.

FIG. 4A is a front view of the back end retaining ring 21. Its inner diameter 214 corresponds to the distance defined by the outer edges of the threaded tabs 23 on the blade device 22.

FIG. 4B is a side view of the back end retaining ring 21 illustrating the threaded interior 210. Optionally, the ring 21 may include a bore 212 for manipulation by a tool configured to insert into the bore, providing added leverage and torque for tightening the ring 21.

FIG. 5 is a view of the capture tip 11. A front-end slot 110 is sufficiently wide to snugly fit over an interior front portion 29 of the blade device 22. At its back end, the capture tip 11 opens into an interior chamber 112 shaped to fit snugly over the end 41 of the ferrule 14. When assembled, the combined length of the ferrule 14 and the capture tip 11 is at least 75% of the combined length of the ferrule 14, capture tip 11, and blade device 22, and preferably is at least 80%.

Although the illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, the transverse slot of the capture tip 11 may be provided on the front end 41 of the ferrule, and the tip eliminated. The transverse slot, whether on the tip or directly on the ferrule, aligns with the slots 18 of the ferrule. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A broadhead having replaceable blades, comprising: a ferrule having a plurality of slots along a length thereof, and a threaded post at a first end for securing the broadhead to an arrow shaft; a tip mounted to a second end of the ferrule, the tip having at least one diametric slot at an end opposite the ferrule; a blade device having a point at a first end, an interior portion of the point fitting into the diametric slot of the tip, and having threaded tabs at a second end, the blade device being engaged in a pair of the plurality of the slots of the ferrule; and a retaining ring having a threaded interior for engaging the threaded tabs of the blade device to secure the blade device to the ferrule.
 2. The broadhead of claim 1, wherein the ferrule has four slots, each positioned 90° apart about the circumference of the ferrule.
 3. The broadhead of claim 2, further comprising a pair of secondary blades, each secondary blade of the pair positioned in a slot 180° apart from each other, wherein the blade device is positioned in a pair of slots located between the slots in which the secondary blades are positioned.
 4. The braodhead of claim 1, wherein the blade device has a pair of blades extending from the point at the first end, the pair of blades being in the same plane.
 5. The broadhead of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the pair of blades are positioned in a pair of slots of the ferrule, the pair of slots being 180° apart from each other.
 6. The broadhead of claim 1, wherein the tip slides over the second end of the ferrule.
 7. A broadhead comprising: a blade device having a pair of blades joined at a point, the pair of blades being in the same plane and each blade of the pair terminating in a threaded tab; a ferrule having at least a pair of slots disposed 180° apart about the circumference of the ferrule, each slot engaging one blade of the pair of blades of the blade device; a transverse slot disposed at an end of the ferrule aligned with the pair of slots of the ferrule, the transverse slot accommodating an interior portion of the point of the blade device; and a retaining ring having a threaded interior for engaging the threaded tabs of the blade device to secure the blade device to the ferrule.
 8. The broadhead of claim 7, further comprising a tip member which is attachable to the end of the ferrule, the transverse slot being positioned at an end of the tip member.
 9. A broadhead comprising: a ferrule having lengthwise slots; a tip member having a transverse slot positioned on a first end of the ferrule; and a blade device terminating in back end retaining tabs, the blade device being positioned in the transverse slot of the tip member at one end and in the lengthwise slots of the ferrule at a second end; wherein a combined length of the ferrule and tip member is at least 80% of the combined length of the ferrule, tip member and blade device.
 10. An archery broadhead comprising: a ferrule having blade-receiving slots disposed thereon; a tip with a slotted front end and an open interior back end; a retaining ring with threads disposed on its inner surface; and a blade device having a pair of blades extending from a point, the pair of blades being in the same plane and terminating in threaded back end retaining tabs; wherein, an inside portion of the blade device fits into the slotted front end of the tip; the open interior back end of the tip fits over the ferrule; the threaded back end retaining tabs of the blade device fit into the blade-receiving slots of the ferrule; and, the retaining ring screws onto the threaded back end retaining tabs of the blade device to secure the blade device to the ferrule. 